Comparison

Notion AI vs Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Read AI

A side-by-side look at three AI assistants that work inside tools teams already use, based on the vendors' own help and product pages.

At a glance

Three assistants for everyday knowledge work: Notion AI automates work inside Notion, Microsoft 365 Copilot is built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, and Read AI follows meetings, email and messages.

Quick answer

Read AI can be used free of charge to start.

Where they differ — the rows worth reading first: Business model, Runs on, Launched.
Identical on the record: Licence, Where it runs, Works offline.

Notion AI vs Microsoft 365 Copilot vs Read AI
Dimension	Notion AI	Microsoft 365 Copilot	Read AI
Company	Notion Labs	Microsoft	Read AI
Category	Productivity	Productivity	Productivity
Business model	Paid	Paid	Freemium
Licence	—	—	—
Pricing	Notion AI is included with Notion's paid Business and Enterprise plans, with limited trial usage on lower tiers.	Microsoft 365 Copilot costs $30 per user per month as an add-on to qualifying Microsoft 365 business and enterprise plans.	Read AI has a free plan with limited meetings; Pro, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ tiers add volume, integrations, and analytics.
Documentation	Documentation ↗	—	—
Launched	2023-02	2023-11	2021
Availability	Global	Global	Global
Where it lives	Inside Notion, as agents you @mention or attach to database events Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, and across desktop, mobile and web Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	A separate assistant that works across your meeting platforms, email and messages Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12
Automation	Custom Agents run in the background on schedules and workspace events Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Agent Builder for work-grounded agents, extended with Copilot Studio; Auto picks the model per task Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Agents and a Digital Twin that work across meetings, email and messaging Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12
What it connects to	Notion pages and databases, plus Slack Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Microsoft 365 apps and Teams, with Copilot Studio for extensions Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, Outlook and Slack, plus MCP, ChatGPT and Claude integrations Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12
Controls and compliance	Agents are scoped to the pages you grant, with activity logs and an Enterprise audit log Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	Presented as secure by design and grounded in your organisation's work context Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12	SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR and HIPAA compliance, with no training on your data by default Source ↗ Verified 2026-10-12
Updated	2026-10-10	2026-10-10	2026-10-09

Fields taken from the product records use the record dates shown. Sourced claims are labelled per product: verified against the linked page on the date shown, taken from the product record without re-checking, or not independently verified.

When to choose each

Notion AI — When your team's docs and databases live in Notion and you want agents to run recurring work there.
Microsoft 365 Copilot — When your work happens in Microsoft 365 apps and you want AI grounded in that tenant's context.
Read AI — When the work to capture is meetings, email and messages across whatever platforms you use.

Each tool on the record

Notion AI

Notion AI is made by Notion Labs. The record lists it as Paid, first recorded in 2023, and fit for Everyday productivity. Its values below carry their own source and date.

Notion AI is listed under Productivity: AI features embedded in workplace and productivity software.

Company: Notion Labs
Category: Productivity
Business model: Paid
Licence: proprietary
Launched: 2023-02
Availability: Global
Tasks it fits: Everyday productivity
How you use it: Web app
Runs on: Web
Where it runs: Vendor cloud
Works offline: Not recorded
Commercial use: Not recorded

Pricing on the record: Notion AI is included with Notion's paid Business and Enterprise plans, with limited trial usage on lower tiers.

Sources on the record: Official website, Notion, Documentation.

Not recorded for Notion AI: Works offline, Public API, Commercial use. An empty field is reported as unknown rather than guessed.

Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft 365 Copilot is made by Microsoft. The record lists it as Paid, first recorded in 2023, and fit for Everyday productivity. Its values below carry their own source and date.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is listed under Productivity: AI features embedded in workplace and productivity software.

Company: Microsoft
Category: Productivity
Business model: Paid
Licence: proprietary
Launched: 2023-11
Availability: Global
Tasks it fits: Everyday productivity
How you use it: Web app
Runs on: Web
Where it runs: Vendor cloud
Works offline: Not recorded
Commercial use: Not recorded

Pricing on the record: Microsoft 365 Copilot costs $30 per user per month as an add-on to qualifying Microsoft 365 business and enterprise plans.

Sources on the record: Official website, Microsoft 365.

Not recorded for Microsoft 365 Copilot: Works offline, Public API, Commercial use. An empty field is reported as unknown rather than guessed.

Read AI

Read AI is made by Read AI. The record lists it as Freemium, first recorded in 2021, and fit for Everyday productivity. Its values below carry their own source and date.

Read AI is listed under Productivity: AI features embedded in workplace and productivity software.

Company: Read AI
Category: Productivity
Business model: Freemium
Licence: proprietary
Launched: 2021
Availability: Global
Tasks it fits: Everyday productivity
How you use it: Web app
Runs on: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Where it runs: Vendor cloud
Works offline: Not recorded
Commercial use: Not recorded

Pricing on the record: Read AI has a free plan with limited meetings; Pro, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ tiers add volume, integrations, and analytics.

Sources on the record: Official website, TechCrunch coverage, Meeting Summaries, Transcripts, AI Notetaker & Enterprise Search | read.ai.

Not recorded for Read AI: Works offline, Public API, Commercial use. An empty field is reported as unknown rather than guessed.

Frequently asked questions

Which of these has been available longest?

Read AI — first recorded in 2021.

Which of these can I start using for free?

Free to start: Read AI.

Which of these is open source?

None of these is open source; every tool in this comparison is proprietary.

Which of these works offline?

None of these is recorded as working offline.

Which of these has a public API?

No public API is recorded for any of them.

Which platforms do these run on?

Recorded platforms — Notion AI: Web · Microsoft 365 Copilot: Web · Read AI: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.

Can any of these be self-hosted or run locally?

None of these is recorded as self-hosted or local; all run as a hosted service.

Which of these writes documents for me?

Notion AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot generate and edit content inside their own apps; Read AI focuses on capturing and summarising meetings, email and messages.

Do they need a paid plan?

Notion's Custom Agents require a Business or Enterprise plan; Microsoft sells Copilot plans for individuals, business and enterprise; Read AI lists its own plans.

Can they run without me?

Notion's Custom Agents run on triggers and schedules; Microsoft 365 Copilot includes Agent Builder and Autopilot; Read AI describes agents and a Digital Twin.

How to use a comparison

Start from the task, not the brand: filter the index by what you need to get done.
Check the evidence: a value marked “verified” names the source page and the date it was checked.
Prefer the vendor’s own page for the final decision: prices and limits change without notice.

Related guides

AI productivity tools

Sources and record dates

Record dates describe index updates, not independent product tests. Check linked documentation for current features and pricing.